A bowl or a piece of clothing: don’t these everyday objects seem a little different in a museum? Looking at the wide variety of materials and the techniques used, don’t you find yourself wondering how on earth these pieces were made and what they are made of?

Touch&Talk is our program inspired by comments like that from our visitors. Participants—children and adults—can touch craft pieces and explore their fascination in depth.
Our volunteer docents will lead participants through the Touch&Talk experience.

Touch&Talk: Two Features

Let’s Feel It section

Use your five senses to experience the work of craft artists, from Living National Treasures to popular young creators—not just a work’s appearance, but its weight, texture, resonance, even its smell. Try out the tools craftspersons actually use and learn from rare materials documenting the production processes, prepared just for this program. Explore the secrets of materials and techniques that cannot be grasped through the walls of glass cases.

Gallery Talk

Explore your perceptions with a docent’s guidance. Sounds difficult? No, it all begins with short, simple phrases—colors, forms, whether you like a work or not—as you uncover a work’s essence. Your docent will also introduce information about the artist, the context, and other stimulating background information.